VOiCE
by Songs for Someday
Summary: After her 'escape', Chell found her voice and built a new life from scratch. Yet, what if something from her past wants to be her future?  ChellxWheatley, Spoilers, after Portal 2, and semi-AU with some Vocaloids thrown in.
1. 01, Family

Ahh! Finally writing again, after forever and ever!

Hello, lovelies. First of all, thank you for reading my fanfiction. I truly appreciate it.

Second of all, Before you close the tab/window, please hear me out: I know this will be a little confusing at first, for those who are unfamiliar with the Vocaloid program and who only want to see . But, have patience. I promise it'll make the story better in the long run, and maybe you'll even pick up a new interest! I know this first chapter seems like I'm trying to force you into an AU story, but it'll blend into something more familiar next time, I promise. (akjfhkasfjh; I need to quit apologizing and just write already ;-; ) Also, I don't know crap 'bout science, son. If something's off, don't even bother. xD

Third, while this isn't in the crossover section, it is a bit of one, and though you don't need to know much about Vocaloids to understand the story, it helps to know a little. The Vocaloids are a group of different voices for a voice synthesizer program. Each voice has a character or mascot with likes, dislikes, a basic personality (usually chosen by the fans) and a physical appearance. You can enter in a note and syllable into the program, and with a whole bunch of these together, you get a song! Sung by a computer! Here, the Vocaloids are robots themselves, with voices, personalities and emotions.

Fourth, I'm sorry this is so loooooooong and confuuuusing. Really. I sincerely apologize. But, hey! That means some really long, awesome adorable chapters, too! I promise I'll do my best to explain. You can email me if you have specific questions. My address is on my profile.

Fifth, stop reading this rambling and get to the story! :D

(I also don't and never will own Portal 2. ;_; Unfortunately.)

* * *

><p><em>"...Ah, mia bella!<em>

_Ah, mia cara! _

_Ah, mia cara! _

_Ah, mia bambina! _

_Oh cara, cara mia... "_

The woman ended her song, sighing and folding her hands in front of her chest gracefully. Both the melody and the lyrics were unfamiliar to her, yet something about them caused her Creator to wipe at her eyes as if she were crying. [1]

"Chell," Meiko asked quietly, "Are you alright?"

The Vocaloid knew better than to assume her singing had displeased her Creator - She knew Chell looked at the androids she'd created and saw not robots, but a family. Some of the younger ones, Rin, for example, would be more susceptible to that fear. Yet, what was wrong?

Chell nodded her head and smiled, her dark hair falling into her face. She looked up at Meiko, the corners of her lips still turned up in pride. Meiko smiled as well, her eyes closed as she patted Chell on the shoulder on her way towards the door.

"Well, if you need me, I'm here to talk. Whenever you're ready."

Chell nodded. Meiko knew she was capable of talking, just not when she was in a mood like this. Her voice was the only thing left to her when she had spent those long days in Aperture Science; it was the only part of her or anything she had control over, and she hadn't been prepared to give it up. [2] She had only been tempted to talk to one particular robot, yet she hadn't. When she'd escaped that place - or rather, was released - she spent days in the wheat field, simply breathing and speaking and singing and laughing. She was free! Finally, after countless tests and betrayals, she was free. Chell had wandered around in the golden field, watching the way the sun and moon lit the skies, chasing each other. With the Companion Cube as, well, a companion, she'd breathed air that wasn't filtered, eaten whatever she could find, and pushed the events that had occurred out of her mind as she tasted life beyond Aperture Science walls.

It had been a wonderful few days of happiness, but all too soon the memories of what had been returned from the corner of her mind they'd been banished to. This had spurred her on, keeping her moving through the endless field, towards whatever she could find. Eventually, Chell stumbled upon a city - and though it looked like it had been destroyed by brutal warfare, it was inhabited by kind people who took her in, calling her one of the 'survivors'. At first she'd wondered if these, too, were escaped Test Subjects, until she realized from bits of conversation that a terrible war had ended recently. The millions of casualties had been the price of the people's 'freedom', and while the people who had survived had many emotional scars, they had plenty of resources and the community lived in a tentative peace. In a way, Chell had thought, these people were a lot like her. She'd fought her own war, and made her own mistakes, and won her freedom. Unfortunately, the consequences were different for her. Trusting _him-_

"No." Chell silenced her thoughts verbally, hoping her mind would follow a spoken command. This worked to an extent, yet flashes of memories and a sinking feeling in her stomach caused her eyes to blur as she stood.

Chell sighed heavily, looking around the room. A huge monitor sat in front of her, with two keyboards laid out next to one another. She tapped a few keys quickly and turned the computer on, smiling at the desktop background. It was a picture of herself and her makeshift 'family' - Chell, who had been sitting quietly on the couch with a book, had been ambushed. The picture was of the moment of said ambush, which is why Chell had such a surprised expression on her face. The only reason she'd kept the image (Even Chell suffered from the common fear of seeing oneself in pictures; she'd always brush off compliments to them with a shrug or a brief comment about her expression being too 'this' or too 'that) was because of everyone else's happy expressions. Chell was the only human in the picture, yet the Vocaloids she'd created seemed so real, as if they had souls all their own.

Miku, who was created to look sixteen, had thrown herself onto the couch; her ridiculously long, aqua hair was flying about everywhere. Chell pondered why Miku would want to keep it that long. She hadn't been programmed with any likes or dislikes, only a basic personality, just like all of the other Vocaloids.

_Yet, somehow..._

Chell sighed, returning the the image. Not too far behind Miku were Rin and Len, the blonde twins. Rin had laughed hysterically, her bright blue eyes closed, as she'd flung her arms around Chell's neck; Len had simply sat down next to her, crossing his legs and holding Chell's hand; his floppy hair was falling to his chin and sticking out every which way. Len was often shy, and referred to Chell as his 'mother', clinging to her and his sister. Rin was the most mischievious of the Vocaloids (complete with a perfect 'innocent' face), and her brother was often the butt of her pranks and jokes. Though they were as different as right and left, Rin and Len truly cared for each other.

Meiko was next; she'd simply walked up behind Rin and grinned, her short, light brown hair and matching eyes complemented by her red sweater. She also had a drink in her hand; probably something alcoholic that was burning away her artificial stomach. Chell paused on that thought. Surely, adding human-like qualities to the Vocaloids wasn't very practical, but she felt closer to them that way. It had only been a matter of months, once Chitose had gotten interested, to find a way to artificially turn food into energy for different uses. This had been very good for the town, yes, as leftover or waste foods could be converted into electricity, but Chell often wondered where the line between human and robot was supposed to be. She shook her head. Why bother? If there was a God, He or She or It had abandoned her long ago. She wasn't playing God, she was doing science.

Luka had squeezed into the image next to Miku, her pink-blonde bangs curving gracefully around her face and accentuating her pale blue eyes. Luka was like a sister to Chell, and were her hair not that bright pink, her patience and warm presence would've made it almost impossible to believe she was anything but a human.

Kaito had popped in at the last second, and was fervently attempting to get "the last of the last of the ice cream" out of his empty container for the millionth time since he'd finished it. His blue eyes were squinted at the empty carton, searching for a drop, somewhere. Chell smiled warmly. The only time he was ever serious was when it was about his ice cream. [3]

This was her family; the personalities she'd shaped in the computer, and the bodies she'd crafted all on her own. They may not be human, but they had emotion and they _felt_ things - it was her time at Aperture Science that caused her to believe an android could feel, and she didn't give up until she found out how that happened. When Chell gave someone a song to sing, they'd feel it and understand the emotion behind it, and give the words a voice she wasn't ready to offer yet.

Chell turned her eyes back to the picture, remembering the photographer. She was a very kind woman; generous and intelligent with a knack for empathy. Her name was Chitose Hibiya. [4] She had been familiar with humanoid computers, to the point where she'd built them - emotions included. When Chell had found her way to Domus, the city that would coincidentally become her home [5], Chitose had been the one to take her in. She'd given Chell a home and a new life, and Chell repaid her by helping rebuild and refine the city, and by offering companionship. Soon, Chell had claimed a small building as her own, and upon finding a computer system in the basement, Chitose had offered to teach Chell all she knew. Eventually, the city had become quite comfortable, and Chell had gained enough knowledge on robotics and computers to rival her teacher's. She would never admit the reason behind her interest, especially on the subject of robots having emotion, but while Chitose had wondered, she hadn't asked.

Chitose, while taking the photo, had accidentally let one of her fingers slip in front of the lens, but Chell preferred it that way. Her entire family, all together. It was beautiful, and more than she ever would've dared to hope for. Yet, when she'd taken on the project of creating Meiko, she couldn't help but think that she wanted to bring something new to the community; some kind of hope that the future held something for them, just as it did for her.

Chell sighed yet again, stretching. Reminiscing was tiring, and her mind kept trying to travel further and further back, as if a piece of herself were still missing, waiting to be found. She knew what - who - it was, and for the longest time had blatantly refused to accept the urge. Soon enough, though, she found that more and more of the songs she wrote for Miku were turning out like sappy lost-love pop songs, that Rin and Len's melodies always ended in betrayal and tragedy, that Luka was singing of regret and longing, and that she was calling Meiko in to sing the turrets' farewell song more and more often.

"Who am I kidding?" Chell spoke to herself in a stern voice. "I'll..."

_What will I do...? _she thought. _Go back?_

She shook her head for what seemed to be the millionth time. Her mind was much too active; there were too many memories crowding her at once. For now, she'd enjoy her family. Perhaps she'd visit Chitose, and bring her some leftover cake. Chell quickly shot that idea down; as much as she loved her makeshift "mother," she loved cake. A lot. In an almost inhuman way. And if Chitose offered to share, Chell would end up inhaling it all. _That _was not what she needed to do.

She'd just go see Chitose. They'd talk. She'd stay for dinner.

Tomorrow she'd go to the wheat field, and when she found nothing, she'd feel better. Chell would be able to return to her life, finally, with no more stupid longings or worries.

She left the lab and took the stairs two at a time, headed for the door.

* * *

><p>[1] If you didn't know, this was the Turret Opera. Lalala.<p>

[2] I've read a few books in which teenagers in stressful, uncontrollable situations just stop talking. They become mute in response to what is going on. It takes a hell of a lot of control to not talk, ever - trust me. I feel that Chell would've wanted one last thing to hold on to, and her tenacity would allow her to never, ever, ever talk, until she had her life back.

[3] For those of you who haven't heard of the Vocaloids, or want a better description, simply search the name of the character with the keyword vocaloid on Google. For example, just look up "Luka Vocaloid" on Google Images, and you'll see what she looks like. I found that the voices of most of the Portal characters reminded me of Vocaloids, so that's where I got my idea. Plus, it ties into the rest of the storyline. You'll see!

[4] WHOA WHOA CHOBITS RIP-OFF. Just kidding. Yes, they're the same Chitose Hibiya. Or, maybe an alternate-dimension one. Tsubasa, anyone? It isn't necessary to understand this reference. You'll get the story just the same. Chitose Hibiya, in the anime/manga Chobits by CLAMP, was (spoilers?) the wife of the creator of persocoms, and created two of these humanoid computers with emotions and the ability to love. (See how all of this maaay tie in to itself? Ohoho.) She won't play a huge part in the story, and neither will the Vocaloids. They're simply a backdrop. It will mainly be Chell and Wheatley, once I get there.

[5] Domus is the Latin word for "home" or "household".


	2. 02, Gravity

I'm baaaack1 This time, you get to see someone I'm sure you've missed. Wheatley is coming in from SPAAAAAAAACE. See how I nonchalantly threw that into a sentence? I think we should start a conspiracy that replaces 'space' with SPAAAAAAAACE. For example, on a test: "What is the area outside of Earth's atmosphere referred to as?" "Oho. Good sir, I do believe the word you are looking for would be SPAAAAAAAAAACE."

Anyway. Chell's character is confusing - there's so much freedom when it comes to her personality, likes, and dislikes that almost everything I do feels out of character. In this story, I've decided to make her very emotional, yet the kind of person that rarely shows it. This contasts with Wheatley's open personality. He's somewhat OOC in this chapter, due to the events that have occurred in the beginning and what will occur in the end.

In this chapter, there is the barest hint of something you won't be sure of until a few chapters later on. You may or may not know what the summary means, just yet. x3

On with the story.

* * *

><p>"SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE."<p>

"If I hear that one more time, I'll explode."

"Space."

"You have _got _to be joking. So you don't even care if I explode? Thanks for the concern, mate. I appreciate it."

"Space. Spacespacespace- OH GOD MORE SPACE. SPACE EVERYWHERE."

"Really? I had_ no _idea. I was _honestly _wondering where we were. Thanks for the update, moron."

The Space Core stopped his rambling for a moment. That word - Space? No, not space. - reminded him of something. He searched his memory, his orange optic blinking rapidly.

"I don't like the silence, either. I just can't win, can I? Ugh.." Wheatley let out a strangled sigh. If he could have a migraine, he would. Unfortunately, what he did have was a massive pile of space. Nothing but-

_"I AM _NOT _A MORON!"_

_"Yes_ _you are_! _You're the moron they built to make _me_ an idiot!"_

_"Well, how about _now? Now _who's a moron? Could a _moron_ punch- you- into- this- pit? EH? COULD A MORON DO THAT!"_

Wheatley stared at the Space Core, who blinked back a few times after the recording had finished playing back.

"Moron, " the ditzy little bot said happily.

Wheatley fell silent. Had he really sounded like that? He remembered punching down the elevator, and Chell's wounded expression, and the power, and the fear - but was he honestly that cruel to her? Each sound of the breaking glass that had punctuated his words had made him flinch. Guilt threaded its way through his system, and he couldn't think of anything to say.

"What do I say? What can I do?"

The Space Core didn't know what his space-friend could say or do. The Space Core only knew about space. Spacespacespace. Space was all he thought, unless he remembered something about how he got to space and what happened in space and space and space and spacespacespace.

So. Much. Space.

...Space.

It was a wonder the poor bot's circutry wasn't fried with the constant feeling of wonder and awe that filled the little core.

The Space Core knew what _he_ could say, though.

"I'm in space," he said, looking at his companion seriously.

Wheatley looked towards Earth, a dark mix of guilt and sadness beginning to fill him. He sighed heavily, knowing that somewhere down there, his mistakes were still phasing out. Who knew if she was even alive anymore? He hadn't helped her like he said he would; like he'd promised. They would've seen the world, together. Gone anywhere they wanted, done anything they wanted...

As much as the logic in him denied it was possible, he missed her. Even without speaking, she'd been kind and patient, waiting for him to figure things out and complying with his stupid requests to turn around as he "hacked" things. He'd seen her smile once or twice at least, usually at some obvious mistake he'd made, but it was never a smile that held anything negative. It was always that patient, calm, pleasantly amused smile. Humans weren't usually patient, and rarely pleasant, but she-

"So much space. Needa see it all. Ah, ah-"

Wheatley looked at Earth for the millionth time.

"I wish I could take it all back," he murmured, "I honestly do. I honestly wish I could take it all back." He paused for a moment, considering this.

"And, not just because I'm stranded in space-"

"I'minspace," The Space Core interrupted him.

"I know you are, mate. Yeah, we're both in space..."

"SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE."

"Anyway," The sphere looked around at 'SPAAAAAAAAACE' resignedly, "Y'know, if I was ever able to see her again, d'you know what I'd say?"

"I'm in space," The Space Core said, completely sure that was the answer. How could anyone _not _want to tell everyone about space?

Wheatley blinked and continued. "I'd say... 'I'm sorry'. Sincerely. I _am_ sorry I was bossy, monstrous... And, I am genuinely sorry."

"I'minspace," the Space Core replied quietly.

"The end."

The Space Core's optic blinked again.

"The end," he repeated.

Wheatley nodded.

\-/

/-\

Within a few minutes, Chell had reached Chitose's home. The building she had claimed was huge, and clashed with the owner's modesty, but it served its purpose. Opening the door, Chell stepped inside, taking her shoes off out of respect for her friend's heritage.

"Chell? Is that you?" A voice called out to her, followed by quick footsteps.

Chell smiled and shook her head. "Do you ask that same question every time the door opens, or did you know I was coming?"

Chitose appeared from around a corner, walking up to her expected visitor. Her long black hair was pulled back with a large clip, and her bangs fell softly over her pale, angled face. She reached out her arms to Chell, smiling brightly.

"Meiko came by, actually. About an hour ago. She mentioned that you'd probably be stopping over,I made dinner." Chell let the woman fold her into her arms, and returned the embrace, sighing at her familiar maternal personality. She buried her face into Chitose's shoulder, thankful for her presence and full of a sudden, unexpected sadness.

"What's the matter, dear? You seem upset," Chitose said gently.

Chell remained silent, swallowing the unnecessary emotions that had surfaced.

Chitose sighed. "You'll feel better after you eat, and I'll try to guess what's wrong, okay?" She smiled and placed her hands on Chell's shoulders, leading her into the kitchen and sitting her down onto a chair.

The rest of the building was modern and sleek, a mechanical theme taking over, but the kitchen was warm and inviting. There was a pot of something on the stove, and the warm spice in the air told Chell it was some kind of curry. The chair was comfortable, a bright red cushion tied onto the wooden frame. Chitose brought two cups over, filled with a bitter tea. Chell sometimes wondered how Chitose had managed to hang on to her culture when it had almost stopped existing elsewhere in the world. The green tea she was offered was not her favourite, but it was warm, so she accepted it. She preferred sweet, warm things, like cake, or British accents-

Chell snapped back into reality.

"You were thinking about it right there, weren't you?" Chitose smiled softly. "Why don't you tell me what happened?"

Chell looked at her friend, brown eyes meeting black.

"Where do I start?"

"The beginning. You always start at the beginning."

Chitose closed her eyes as Chell cleared her throat, hesitating. Tentatively, she began to speak, with her companion interrupting her only to ask about a technology detail or for her to repeat something. Chell spoke of waking up, of the ASHPD, of portals, GLaDOS, testing, and of her battle with said homicidal computer. Then she moved on to waking up after what appeared to be one hundred years later - Chitose remarked amiably on how Chell was old enough to be _her_ mother - and more testing, and Caroline, and Wheatley.

_Wheatley._ She didn't want to talk about him, but suddenly her explanations became more than just bland, monotone facts. She reiterated dialogue, details, and events as if they'd happened yesterday, giving a bittersweet smile to the memory of her companion's self-assumed importance, his innocence, and his kindness. Then, as she reached the betrayal, her voice began to falter.

"Our plan was to switch GLaDOS's core with Wheatley. He said he'd call up a lift, and get us out of the facility. He was so happy when they transferred, but when the elevator started to move up, he laughed. It was happy at first, but it changed so quickly; I-, I.."

Chell shook her head, swallowing thickly.

"He said I was selfish. That he'd sacrificed everything to get us there, and I'd done nothing. The next thing I knew, GLaDOS and I were in the lift, and he was _screaming _at us, punching us down, and the glass was shattering everywhere, and I-," she shivered, "I-, I couldn't say a word. I wanted to, so badly. I sh-should've said _something_; I should've tried to remind him of himself, o-or of being free of the facility, or _anything-" _Chell was grasping the chair as if it were her only lifeline. Her fists shook violently and her eyes were closed, fighting a breakdown she knew she wouldn't be able to handle. She took a deep breath before continuing.

"_Anything_ to bring him back."

Chitose was silent, her expression blank and unreadable. Chell stopped for a moment, conciously making an effort to shove the pain and anger she felt to the back of her mind.

Another deep breath.

_Oh, for the love of-_

_Forget it. He's a horrible person, just like you, so stop getting upset over it._

Chell's thoughts hurt, but very quickly, the swirl of emotion subsided and left a strange ache in her head.

She went on to explain her truce with a former enemy, and of the final battle with a former friend. Her world had been turned upside down so many times; it was a wonder she was able to handle all that in a lifetime.

"...Then, I saw the moon, right above me. He sounded so horrible, so cruel. I was so tired... I aimed at the light and pulled the trigger. The next thing I remember is the way he sounded as he was swept away from me, asking me to grab him. The way he _used_ to sound. The old Wheatley. My old Wheatley."

Chitose looked at her sadly.

Chell met her gaze, finishing her story coldly.

"And now he's gone."

\-/

/-\

"Space."

"Space, indeed."

"Space?"

"Yeah. Space."

"Spacespacespace."

"Sp- Oh, for God's sake. I'm not playing this game anymore. Really. Would you quit it?"

"SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA- What's that?"

"What?" Wheatley manuvered himself to see what the nutty core was referring to.

"SPACE THING."

Something was hurtling towards them, and fast.

"W-what the- RUN. RUN, RUN, RUN- Oh, for the love of- GET OUT OF THE WAY, SPACE CORE." Wheatley began to panic as the _thing_ came closer. Why the bloody hell was there a-

"Space thing! MOM! SPACE THING! I'M COMING!"

"W-what? SPACE CORE, GET BACK HERE!"

"But this is Mom, moron," The Space Core said matter-of-factly. Wheatley regretted teaching him that word even more, and began to speak, but was very quickly cut off by the sudden magnetic pull towards the space-thing.

"O-oy! H-hey, quit it! Space Core! What are you-!"

The next thing he knew, Wheatley's sphere-body was connected to the pile of trash on the space-thing.

The Space Core was ecstatic. He spoke in a high, feminine voice, imitating a woman.

"I love you, Space Core!"

"I love you, too, Mama Space Thing!"

Wheatley stared at the Space Core, and for the first time (which was somewhat sad, because the Space Core was insane enough without provocation) was sincerely concerned for his companion's mental state. They'd been attached to some space trash can, and he thought it was his mother? How did that even make _any_ sense? Looking ahead, he realized what was happening, and was struck with fear.

"Space Core, this is _not_ your mother. This is a trash can, and from the looks of it, we're moving towards Earth. Do you know what that means?"

"Mama?"

"We're going to die, mate," Wheatley said in disbelief.

The Space Core stared at Wheatley intently, his "eye" flashing for the third time.

"But, I can fix this. I can get us out of here. Y-yes. Just let me-..."

Wheatley braced himself for the inevitability of his next words.

"...There's no way to fix this, is there?"

The blue-eyed core felt the same shadow he'd felt earlier rise through him, as if the program for hope or optimism had been deleted.

"...I couldn't fix anything. I couldn't get her out of there, I couldn't fix the facility when it started to shut down, and now I'll never be able to apologize. We're going to die, and I've done nothing but screw up again and again."

His voice grew frantic as the Earth grew in front of him, faster than he could've imagined.

"I'm going to die. I'm going to die! I can't- I should've just shut my mouth and escaped with her. We could've done whatever we bloody well pleased, did you know that, mate?"

Wheatley, in an attempt to sound less frenzied , laughed in a terrified, desperate way. This only frightened him more. What was happening? Panic seeped into his voice in as his words collided with each other.

"We could've built our own version of Aperture Science. Or we could've just wandered around, looking at everything. And now she won't ever know I apologized, or that she was my friend, or that I-..."

He couldn't stop his thoughts, now. They flew out of him as quickly as he was hurtling towards Earth, yet he knew that the things he felt were true, despite the impossibility of it all.

"_I cared about her_. A bloody _robot_, caring about a human! This is ridiculous; absolutely mad! I've lost my damn mind. I have _lost_ it, Space Core. D'you know what that means, by any chance? Because I do believe it happened to you, quite a while ago. We've lost our minds, you and I. _And_ we're going to die!" Wheatley's voice cracked, heavy with emotion he wasn't supposed to have.

"In space," the Space Core added.

Wheatley looked around wildly as the Earth's atmosphere began push back at him and the space-thing, the blue colour of his 'eye'-screen reduced to a tiny speck. The Space Core looked over, hearing a loud _pop_, and wondered why his space-friend's optic was black and empty-looking.

OH GOD WHEATLEY

KJASFKASHF;;


	3. 03, Impact

Hello again, everyone!

I've been reading lots of ChellxWheatley/Chelley/Cheltley, and I've found that it tends to work a _lot _better when you read Wheatley's lines while imagining his voice really strongly. Or you can just have a eargasm. Stephen Merchant's voice is practically synonymous with that.

I have the most patient boyfriend in the world for putting up with my obsessive Wheatley/Stephen Merchant fangirling. (An imaginary robot and a 37-year-old man. I think. Right? Maybe 36. I can't add, either.) Legit, yo. Unfortunately, school is nowhere near as patient, so I'll be writing a bit less so I don't have to repeat my sophomore year. :D;;

Regardless, I'll do the best I can, and I'll always have at _least_ one chapter a week up. Most likely around three. Hopefully a lot more, for you guys, but I don't know yet. If I'm away too long, you can email me and kick my butt. Really. Go right ahead. Also throw some suggestions in there, too, if you'd like me to do something.

Also, about the Space Core being okay - He was made to think about space constantly, so I assumed he had been built _for_ space and therefore wouldn't be damaged as much as tiny little Wheatley. :L

Also also, I think the field at the end may be just grass. But I'm going to pretend it's wheat. That way, I get to subconciously make you think about Wheatley whenever you hear 'wheat'. Have fun with that from now on.

ONWARDS.

Chell raised an arm above her head to block the midday sun from her eyes. It lit up the field, sending a warm, golden glow through the wheat. Somehow, it hadn't changed, the wheat never dying. It just stayed gold, frozen in time, probably due to the chemicals and who-knows-what-else seeping into the soil from Aperture Science below. She moved through the field, feeling for the GPS in her pocket. Getting lost was not on her list of things to do.

But, why was she even here? Chell wondered what had compelled her to come back. There was nothing waiting here but the field, full of a crop that coincidentally had the name of her old friend. Eventually, she'd even found her way to the old metal shack, but had scurried away as soon as she saw it, a fresh pain in her chest. It _hurt _to be here. Betrayal after betrayal after betrayal, and she would never forget it. It had taken her months to adjust to Chitose's prescence in her life, a year to trust her. She'd been through so many kinds of therapy, and Chitose was her makeshift psychologist. Physical therapy had been easy. She always bounced back quickly. Mental therapy - seeing if she was still sane - was also easy. The idea of brain damage had been far from the truth, it seemed.

The emotional therapy was the hardest of the three. This was where she had been rarely anything but silent, refusing to admit anything of her past or her pain. Chitose struggled here: she'd tried having Chell paint, write, and exercise regularly, yet no emotion had been revealed, and Chell had stopped talking altogether.

Art was beautiful, but had no depth in her eyes. It wasn't personal and didn't reflect her story, and while she had the patience, she didn't have the interest to learn.

Writing was next, and hadn't worked because Chell was always slightly paranoid that someone would find a way to read her soul through a few simple phrases. [1]

Exercise had little effect; she was already in shape, and the push to exercise more often had sent her into a phase where she was convinced she was overweight.

Soon, however, Chitose had began to use music, and Chell responded immediately. The sounds, harmonies and melodies blending together, had been the perfect contrast to Aperature Science, where everything had been either silence or dischord. She'd loved most genres that she had been exposed to, and eventually allowed herself to listen to something electronic or classical, despite the memories that'd surface. Soon, Chell learned to sing herself, and while her voice wasn't that of a star, she was somewhat above average. Though her voice often cracked on higher notes, she used that to her advantage in emotional songs, and eventually picked up on a light, almost unnoticable vibrato. As usual, she'd adapted using whatever she had, and didn't give up until she got it right. [2]

Chell liked the sound of her voice when she sang. It was different than the sound of speaking, and pleasant - not amazing, or breathtaking, or even worthy of much attention, but it was hers to use as she pleased.

Eventually, however, she found that the songs weren't personal enough, and didn't reflect the way she felt. She tried to write her own, only to realize that she didn't always have the right voice for what she'd written, and that she preferred to listen to someone else sing, anyway.

That was when Meiko was created. An emotional, humanoid, singing companion android. Chell had been happy, then. Truly, honestly happy. She had created something all on her own that was the culmination of all of her experiences and knowledge. The next thing she knew, Kaito had been created, and Miku followed shortly afterwards. Chell's home was no longer an empty building, and the warmth of feeling towards her creations slowly began to swell. Soon, following their predecessors, Rin and Len were created, and finally, Luka.

It was her very own family. An unnamed kind of love circulated between them: While some relationships were obvious, like that of Luka's sister-like personality or Len's idea that Chell was his mother, most of the Vocaloids simply thought of Chell as their Creator, and treated her like a close friend. Slowly, Chell began to forget what had happened to her, and moved towards the future. Yet, somehow, the farther she got from her past, the more she thought about it. It had become such a huge part of her life, and leaving it behind didn't seem right - but what about her family, now? Her past and present were seperated, and she'd built a wall on the line that kept them apart.

But that wall was breaking, if not already reduced to rubble, considering where she was.

It had been two years since Chell's escape. Two years and probably a few months. Her head pounded with a sharp pain, probably due to the bright sunlight in her eyes. Sighing, Chell reached towards her pocket, planning to leave.

_This is pointle-_

"Hey, lady."

Chell stopped dead in her tracks.

_What the hell was that?_

She had been sure she heard a voice, somewhere to her right. It was so quiet, though... And, was something burning?

"Hey. Hey, lady. Heyladycomecloser."

Chell gasped in recognition. She _knew_ that voice! Following the scent of smoke, she thrashed wildly through the wheat, looking for the source of the familiarity.

"Ladyyyy! Space! I WAS IN SPACE!"

Chell stopped. Right in front of her was a huge mound of metal and debris, around which was a ring of charred earth, which was what had caused the burning smell. Among the trash heap was a familiar shape -

"SPACE!" The psychotic sphere chimed in, nodding as if it were the secret of all life.

So this was the game Fate wanted to play with her.

Chell stood still, paralyzed for a moment. If that was the Space Core, where was...?

Her eyes shifted to the right, scouring the debris. A circular shape attracted her attention, and she ran towards it immediately, reaching out a hand towards it. It felt familiar, and the shock of it made her eyes blur and her stomach flip.

"_W-Wheatley?"_

His lens was cracked and empty, and his spherical body was charred and dented. Somehow, the Space Core had avoided much damage, but Wheatley had been through so much beforehand that the reentry into the atmosphere had hurt him beyond was he was capable of withstanding.

Chell picked him up, struggling against the magnet and her own fear. She sat down, looking him over frantically. There had to be a power switch, or a reset button, or-

"Dead. Space-friend died. In space. Space is a good place to die, though."

Chell felt her stomach drop violently.

"...Dead?" She whispered, feeling the weight of the word sink in all too soon.

She'd asked for him back.

_Doesn't this fall under 'anything'?_

Chell tried to supress the shock that continued to course through her with harsh thoughts.

_Well, doesn't it? He was useless, anyw-_

"No."

_No? This is ridiculous. Stand up and walk away, before you make a fool of yourself._

"No. No, no, no, no, no..."

_Attachment issues are common in people who are adopted, but you really need to put him on the ground and go home. Do you think he cares about you? The Companion Cube cares about you. Not this moron. Plus, he hurt you. And he's dead._

Chell shook her head frantically, trying to silence the voice - _Her_ voice - in her head. It had been what kept her going through the pain and stress of testing, but it had followed her out. Now, GLaDOS's voice was what held Chell's emotion captive, reminding her of her weakness every time she neared her breaking point.

However, now it was time to pick up the pieces.

_...I can't run away this time._

Chell shook violently as everything crashed over her, and the mental strain finally caught up. Clinging to the shell of what had been her best friend and worst enemy, years of fear, regret, anger, sadness, longing, hatred, and love poured out of her at once, and for the first time, Chell was facing them all. There was no more running; no more bottling it up and hiding it away. She'd been locked up like a lab rat, forced to run tests, again and again and again. She'd been betrayed by GLaDOS, and killed her, and locked up again. Then, _he_ came along.

Wheatley.

She'd trusted him, fallen for his simpleminded, good-natured charm, and he'd shoved that trust back in her face. He'd destroyed the one thing she'd forgotten to guard: her heart. The thought of it made her want to scream. A robot had broken her heart? What was she doing, sobbing like a child and clinging to the very thing she _hated_ with all of her soul?

The part of Chell that brought her here answered her mental question with a wave of regret and emptiness.

_Do you really hate him?_

Chell realized she wasn't breathing, and suddenly gasped for air. Emotion swept through her veins like fire and ice, changing from anger to longing to sadness to fury in the course of a few seconds.

"I wish..." Chell choked out, "I wish I-..."

Had never met him?

No, that wasn't it. In a way, he had gotten her out of there, eventually.

What did she wish for, then?

Her head pounded violently, and Chell raised her hands to cradle her face, only to discover her soaked cheeks. Numb and spent, she looked at her hands. When was the last time she'd cried? She couldn't remember.

The Space Core blinked at her, whispering to space. Could space hear him? He didn't know. But, wait. What was that? He remembered something about that last part. Space? No. Not space. In space. Space-friend.

He beeped at Chell, before playing back what he remembered.

"_I wish I could take it all back. I honestly do. I honestly wish I could take it all back..."_

Chell listened, her head aching, as Wheatley's voice filled the air. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed the sound of it. Her hands shook, and she held Wheatley to her chest gently.

"_...And, I am genuinely sorry."_

The silence that followed afterwards was filled only by her short breaths, taking in what had just happened.

Wheatley had apologized.

He had been _Wheatley _again. _Her _Wheatley. The one she'd trusted.

Reality, however, hit her shoulders within a few moments.

Her Wheatley was dead.

[1] This is similar to her fear of speaking.

[2] Caroline is GLaDOS, and GLaDOS is a good singer. I'm stuck on the theory that Caroline is Chell's mother, and therefore, Chell can sing, goddamnit. Also, did anyone see Chell's name on one of the potato battery projects? The _Aperature Science Day-Care Center? _Why would she need to be in day-care if she wasn't the child of one of the workers?

Anyway. Thank you for reading this far. Review if you'd like, or if you feel I could use some critique. Constructive, please. I'm sensitive. T3T


	4. 04, Awakening

K-GKJDKJLDSFKLDSH

I DID NOT MEAN TO MAKE PEOPLE CRY.

OH, WOW

KJHSFKJHDSKFJ

I'll be sure to update, if everyone likes it so much ;A;

I need to stop getting distracted. I wasn't gonna write tonight, because it's already 12, and I wanna reeeaaaaddd, but Wheatley's theme song is stuck in my head and oh god why can you not be real Wheatley please. ;A;

A-and, also, some questions need to be answered.

Kichara: Chell, as I had written in the first chapter, learned all she knew from Chitose. I figured she'd be interested in SCIENCE after her time in Aperture, and since they're obviously significantly ahead of the world technology-wise, she'd have a bunch of good (stolen) ideas. Oho. Also, this takes place after all of the events of Half-Life and stuff. I have no idea what went on in that game. The Combine is the bad group, right? Well, pretend they fell, due to the war I also mentioned. Lots of people died, and there are really only a few hundred survivors in the city. This would give the people plenty of space and plenty of resources. And, yes, they are androids. Humanoid computers. They look, act, and appear to be human, yet they are robots.

**The emotion of the Vocaloids in this story is an allusion to the 'KOKORO' program mentioned in one of Rin's songs, by the way. Except, obviously, it doesn't kill them or take forever to make in this story.**

Esuslol: While I agree with that completely, there's really not enough evidence to make a decision either way. What makes me believe Chell is _specifically _Caroline's daughter is the song at the end - when translated from Italian, it refers to Chell as, "My dear child," "My baby," and so on. The turrets are made by GLaDOS, and therefore also by Caroline, and since they are a part of the facility they _are_ GLaDOS by proxy. And, perhaps Caroline/GLaDOS needed to hear herself before she could come back, after being corrupted. Even Wheatley was corrupted, right? It's a parallel, if only a subtle one. On top of that, I have a bunch of the story planned out and already hinted at in the last chapter, and this one, so I can't really change it, now. I do respect your opinion, however. It makes total sense. We've just gotta wait 'till Portal 2, I suppose.

And to anyone who mentioned them, as for the Vocaloids, only Len will really be a main character at this point. The others are sort of just background. Meiko may be more prominent later on, and Kaito might just... NOT TELLING. ;3

Also, even Aperture Science recycles. I'll tell you a little tidbit I came up with: The trash-thing/space-thing/MAMA is actually a magnet sent out by Aperture Science. It runs periodically and automatically, collecting leftover debris from space and returning it to the facility. GLaDOS is always saving money.

And, did Wheatley really die? Hmm. We'll have to find out, won't we? :D

Oh, wow this is long holy zjdglfjasgfjhsbj

tl;dr:

Thank you, honestly, to everyone who reviewed, and to YOU, who is reading. I think you're a great person. Now go smile about it and get yourself a snack and come back and read.

* * *

><p>The room was spinning. She clung to the thing in her arms, and oh God she was going to roll off of wherever she was if they room didn't stop. Her body ached, and there was an empty feeling in the pit of her stomach, gnawing away at the lining and sending a wave of nausea through her. She thought she heard someone say "space," and a crash, and she recognized Chitose's voice.<p>

"W-what...?" Chell muttered, and the room began to slow down.

"M-mama?" The thing in her arms wriggled, and Chell opened her eyes to see what it was.

"Len," she said, quietly. The room halted, and she felt herself return to reality.

The Vocaloid on her lap was created to be around fourteen, but had somehow ended up acting like he was eight. He had the single most concerned look Chell had ever seen smeared across his face, and his hands were gripping her arms as if she was going to run away the second she saw him.

"You're awake!" Len smiled and relaxed his grip as Chell sat up, slowly.

She _was_ awake, she supposed. Sort of. Still groggy. What was going on? She looked around the room. Her room? Oh, God. None of this made any sense.

Chitose found her way into Chell's line of sight and smiled, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"You're alright, now. You're probably a little shaken, and hungry, but you'll be alright. Don't worry about anything else, just yet. I'll bring in something for you to eat."

The woman smoothed back Chell's bangs before standing up and exiting the room. Len forcibly snuggled into Chell's arms, and she numbly put her arms around him.

What the hell had happened?

Chell searched her memory. She remembered going to see Chitose, and walking... Walking somewhere? Gold...

"A-agh!"

Chell suddenly let out a sharp cry as she experienced what she thought was her head exploding.

"W-what happened?" Len's voice sent a shock through her spine. Noise. Too much noise.

Her vision blurred, fading almost to black, and Chell was barely aware that Len had run off to warn Chitose of her condition. Clutching at her hair and gritting her teeth, she felt everything begin to slip, until the pain slowly began to fade. Careful not to move a muscle as the agony subsided into a dull ache, Chell focused on the pattern of her comforter.

Well, that was absolutely terrible.

The memories flooded back in a split second. The wheat field. The Space Core. Smoke, debris, and the golden sun.

Wheatley.

Chell flung herself out of bed, ignoring the lightheadedness, and walked as quickly as her body could handle to the kitchen. Chitose met her halfway with a horrified expression.

"What are you doing up? You have to rest, first; you can't just-"

"Where is Wheatley?"

Chell's voice was hoarse.

"What?"

"Where. Is. Wheatley?"

An emotion Chell couldn't read flickered across Chitose's gentle features. She put a hand on Chell's shoulder, and led her slowly back to her bedroom.

"Answer me, Chitose."

The woman flinched at Chell's uncharacteristic voice. She paused before speaking, and kept her hand on Chell's shoulder.

"You cannot leave this room until you eat something and speak to a doctor. Wheatley is downstairs, and no, you can not see him. He's barely functioning, and it's taken me the full two days you were asleep to-"

"What?"

Chitose frowned, confused.

"Is he alive, you mean?"

Chell met Chitose's gaze and did not blink, a sliver of hope in her eyes.

"The damage wasn't as severe as it appeared to be," Chitose nodded as she spoke, "And there were really only a few disconnected wires. Unfortunately, they were disconnected because they'd snapped, and they were all important. I've replaced what I could, and repaired most of the damage, but he was built as if his creators thought his body was invincible. Fragile would be the word, I suppose. His internal processors will eventually sort things out, and I'll fix any other damages, but for now, he's just like you. Not going anywhere."

Chell closed her eyes slowly as she felt a heavy dread disappear from her shoulders. A smile barely touched her lips, and she laid her head back down as Len clumsily climbed into bed next to her.

She was content to wait. She had plenty of things to sort out before talking to Wheatley, but just knowing her old friend was functioning filled her with warmth.

Still alive, huh?

\-/

/-\

_I can't see..._

_I can hear, though._

_At least I'm still alive. Barely._

_And I almost killed her, even if it was her fault._

_So many emotions..._

_...I will never understand how she could forgive such a moron._

\-/

/-\

Peeking around every corner, Len cautiously made his way down to Chell's lab. It scared him a little, especially after being given a minor heart attack by the events of the day. He'd run to Chitose's house when Chell hadn't returned from her trip, and they searched for her for hours. Everyone came along. Kaito even forgot about his ice cream long enough to find her.

When they'd finally found Chell, she'd been crumpled up on the ground, clutching her head with one hand and a little metal ball with the other. Chitose had been as worried as anyone had ever seen her; she called out orders to everyone, and even when Chell was safe, continued to worry.

Len had been alright, once he was able to see his mama. Everything was okay with her. When he began to think of Chell as his mother, she would blush and stumble over her words awkwardly. Chitose had said that being someone's mother, and being loved by that someone, is one of the greatest loves there is. Len made sure to cuddle Chell often, after that. She wouldn't be without love, and he'd make sure of it.

But, what was it that had caused his mama so much pain?

Opening the door to the lab slowly, Len surveyed the room, his bright blue eyes taking in the "womb" in which he'd been built. The walls were white and curved, and a warm, full-spectrum light shined down from the high ceiling. Wires were askew everywhere, and a huge computer screen was placed on the left side of the room, in front of Chell's favourite chair.

"H-hello!"

Len nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of an unfamiliar voice, letting out a cry.

"W-wh-! No, no, no! I didn't mean to frighten you. A-are you alright?"

Searching the room, Len's eyes landed on the little metal ball he'd seen with Chell earlier. It looked battered, but what appeared to be its optic shone a brilliant blue colour.

Len blinked, walking forward slowly. After a few moments, he nodded.

"Oh, good. That's good. Very good. Ah, um- D'you by any chance know where I am? And where that lady went, earlier? And if you happened to know a woman named Chell, it'd be absolutely splendid if you could somehow bring me to her. Wonderful, actually. O-or, or not... She might kill me. Again. Well, she didn't kill me earlier, but I died before. Or so I'm told," the little orb babbled, his accent foreign but friendly. "You understand, though, right?"

Len kneaded his hands together.

"This is home. Where I live. The lady is Chitose; I dunno where she went, but she's probably still here somewhere. A-and, yes, I do. 'Che-"

"Oh, really? Oh, that's absolutely wonderful! C-could you take me to her? Wait, wait, nevermind. I'm not supposed to leave. And Chell is probably furious with me, still. Can you bring her here, by any chance?"

"Mama is sick."

Wheatley felt a strange pang of something flow through his circutry. Mama? What was this little boy talking about? Was Chell a mother, now?

"She wanted to come see you, but Chitose told her she couldn't, but she smiled anyway and went back to sleep. She was sleeping for a long time, before. With you, too, in the field."

Len approached Wheatley fully, his shyness beginning to fade. Wheatley, in turn, gave a friendly blink before continuing to talk.

"S-so, Chell is your mother? Where is your father?" A million other questions had been waiting to be asked, but for some reason, Wheatley couldn't help but ask what he did. That _something _came back again, a strange mix of almost sadness and anger and longing. He knew he missed Chell, but why was he upset?

Len stared at the robot blankly.

"I-if you don't mind me asking, I mean! Many humans don't have fathers, or are adopted," Wheatley spoke, feeling that his last sentence was more to comfort himself than the little blonde boy in front of him. "But, if you do have a father, which you probably do, I'd like to know. J-just so I can congratulate Chell, mind you! I do _not_ have any other motives, or - wait, that's not the right word -"

"Mama said she made me all on her own."

Wheatley felt something akin to relief, and then a strong wave of confusion. Had humans figured out how to reproduce on their own? The idea didn't make sense. Len was sitting on the chair in front of Wheatley's table, by now, and smiled.

"You're a robot, too, huh?"

"W-wh-?" The robot in question stuttered as he finally understood. The little boy in front of him, as deceiving as he was, was not a human. _That_ made sense. The knowledge managed to completely rid his body of that strange emotion. He remembered feeling it before, when Chell had been such good friends with GLaDOS, but hadn't given it a name. He wasn't supposed to have emotion, anyway, so it was probably irrelevant.

Len, who was very patient when he was curious, tilted his head and blinked, noticing the telltale signs of informaton being processed.

"My name is Len, by the way," he said, softly.

Wheatley snapped back into reality, and nodded cheerfully at Len. "Well, nice to meet you! My name's Wheatley."

* * *

><p>Lalalalaaa. A bit of a cliffhanger, I suppose. The next chapter will be up tomorrow.<p>

Thank you for reading!


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